Zero shades of Grey
by lillith.abendroth
Summary: When addiction turns into madness, Zero finds himself unable to cope. When a once unnoticed and utterly forgettable girl comes into his life, will Zero's pain be too much for him to allow himself to feel? How far will Kaien Cross go to keep his adopted son safe and alive? Set after the end on season 2 Zero/OC WARNING: Contains rape
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Thanks to my best friend Sam for the editing as per usual! The song is 'painkiller' by Three Days Grace. Let me know what you guys think! Reviews make me warm and fuzzy inside and stuff...**

The storm raged outside, matching the intensity of the storm raging within Zero Kiryu. It had been nearly two months since the fight with Rido, and Yuuki's departure. To say he missed her would have been a gross understatement. He remembered his promise to her. He remembered the final words she said to him, the words that haunted his nightmares. At the headmaster's request he had stayed behind to help rebuild the school while continuing classes. The headmaster called it their "duty to the students." As a favor, and because he had nowhere else to go, Zero stayed at the school.

Glancing out the window, he sighed as another gust of wind drove a sheet of rain pattering against the pane of glass. Sighing, he turned away. A rumble of thunder sounded in the distance, and the window shook from its force. Previously drowned out by the howling wind, Zero felt the thumping beat enter the room and began reaching for his core. He glanced over towards the double doors, behind which a school dance raged, the headmaster's fleeting attempt to make everyone forget about what had happened and try to "lighten everyone up." As he watched, the double doors popped open and a bright light illuminated the once darkened hallway. Kaien Cross stepped into the light and Zero sighed again. He knew what was coming.

"Zero! What are you doing out here?"

Taking a step forward, Zero shrugged. In all honesty he had stepped away from the dance to clear his head. The festivities, with their cheerful mood and upbeat music had been too much for him. It was too soon and he still hadn't forgotten.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and when he looked up he saw his headmaster's face beaming brightly. Though this man had adopted him and cared for him most of his life, he still couldn't bring himself to think of him as anything more than a headmaster, certainly not his father.

"Why don't you come back in here, Zero? You could use a little cheering up."

Again, the young vampire shrugged, but did as he was told anyway. He yanked the doors open and a blinding light bombarded his senses. Once inside the music roared around him. Stepping off to the side he broke away from Kaien and slowly made his way off to the sidelines, watching as bodies writhed and wiggled on the dance floor. Finding a clear spot on the bleachers, Zero sat down just as the song came to an end. After a moment, another beat pulsed through him, and this, finally, was a song he recognized. Despite himself, the hand resting on his knee began to tap its fingers along to the beat.

You know you need a fix when you fall down  
You know you need to find a way  
To get you through another day

Zero's eyes scanned the crowd, looking among the thrashing and sweating bodies for something, or someone interesting to take his mind off of his problems. A young girl with long black hair caught his attention and he perked up to get a better look at her.

Let me be the one to numb you out

As he watched, she brought both hands up to run through her waist length hair. She spun and twisted, her hips swaying to the beat. She turned towards him then, and he felt as if a block of ice had slid down into his stomach. The look on her face was one of pure pleasure, lost and euphoric from the music.

Let me be the one to hold you  
Never gonna let you get away

Clinging to her, the white shirt of her school uniform hugged her curves perfectly. She seemed to have discarded her black and white jacket, as had most of the students. Her skirt swished around her thighs as she danced, paired with black stockings. Despite the sexy way her hair hung over one shoulder, quite possibly the sexiest thing about her was the way she mouthed the lyrics to the song as she danced. Zero felt almost as if he had been electrified.

The shoulder you cry on  
The dose that you die on

As the beat of the song changed, she swished her hips in wide circles, lower and lower until she was crouching; her hair fell over her face like a veil. As she got closer to the ground, Zero stood, desperate to keep sight of her. Something about the way she moved had him captivated. He had never seen anything like her, so graceful and free. She was everything he wanted at that moment.

I, I can be your painkiller, killer, killer  
You'll love me 'til it's all over, over

As the beat of the music changed she shot up, throwing her head back. Her hair was like a midnight waterfall, tendrils of raven black cascading in waves down her back. She had a heartbreakingly beautiful pout on her lips, and her skin shone with the sheen of sweat that made her seem as if she were glowing from the inside. She moved in perfect time to the music, and snaked her arms over her head in carefully controlled movements, accentuating her in perfect fashion.

'Cause I'm the shoulder you cry on  
The dose that you die on  
I, I can be your painkiller, killer, killer

She was affecting him in ways he didn't even know were possible. He felt an undeniable urge to be closer to her, to breathe her air and taste her skin. Though it was no easy task, he waded through the sea of writhing and turning bodies and made his way to her side. At that moment all he knew was her. Loosely, he wrapped his arms around her waist and began to sway with her. Her smell was intoxicating. He breathed her in deeply and gently brushed her hair away from her neck. She sighed and practically melted in his arms.

I know what you want so desperately  
You know I'll give you one for free  
Forever you're coming back to me

Zero felt the slight twinge of satisfaction burn within him, and trailed two fingers across her collarbone and up her throat. She shivered at his touch and leaned into him, grinding her hips against him. He stiffened at the feeling of her against him and felt his ability to control himself slipping. Her arms came up then, reaching behind her to wrap around his neck and interlock her fingers behind his head. Watching the way she moved coupled with the feel of her skin was affecting his body and mind in ways he had never felt before.

Now I'm gonna give you what you need  
'Cause I know what you feed on and what you lean on  
And what you lead on

She sighed and relaxed against him. He felt the warmth of her skin against his and could feel himself melting like a candle in a wildfire. Something about her calmed him. Something about her almost drove him to madness. A plethora of feelings swirled within him like a melting pot, but he couldn't take his eyes off of her. She pushed her hips into him and tossed her head back, leaning against him as her mind gave in to the beat of the music. Slowly, Zero grabbed her wrists and pulled them down to her side, before trailing both hands across her hip bones. She gasped, and spun on her heel to look into the face of the person who was owning her so completely.

"Zero?!"

The shoulder you cry on  
The dose that you die on

Zero could finally see every line and curve of her face and he felt as if he were looking into the eyes of a goddess. Her lips were full and plump, and begged for his touch. Her eyes were wide and a dark, slate grey. She was beauty incarnate, a goddess come to earth. He recognized her now. Kivia Karver. Finally, he bent and claimed her lips with his own. He felt a spark between them and smiled into her mouth. She tasted somehow familiar and like sweet frosting.

I, I can be your painkiller, killer, killer  
You'll love me 'til it's all over, over  
'Cause I'm the shoulder you cry on  
The dose that you die on  
I, I can be your painkiller, killer, killer

He felt a twinge of guilt but quickly pushed it away. For the first time in a long time, he was thinking of someone other than Yuuki, and he didn't really mind. He never should have let it get this far, but something about Kivia had him hypnotized. His mind was foggy and swimming from the adrenaline, but he still knew the gravity of the situation he had laid out for himself. He pulled away from her, panting.

Did you find me another cure?  
Did you find me another cure?

"Kivia!" A voice to his left snapped Zero out of his trance like state, and he took a step back. A small group of girls had appeared, and were standing nearby, looking awkwardly from Kivia to Zero. One girl, tall with blonde hair and thick glasses, spoke up.

"Hey, Kivia. Why is Zero..."

Kivia finally moved her eyes from Zero's, her expression dazed and looking slightly guilty. That look caused another twinge inside of Zero's chest that he couldn't explain. This girl, once so forgettable and nothing he would look twice at, now owned his entire world. Without a word, she stepped away from him, and began making her way towards the door. The group of girls that had come to retrieve her seemed to unanimously flash Zero a cold, judging stare before following her.

I, I can be your painkiller, killer, killer  
You'll love me 'til it's all over, over  
'Cause I'm the shoulder you cry on  
The dose that you die on  
I, I can be your painkiller, killer, killer

The monster that was his pride, roared inside of his chest. He still felt their piercing judgment, the cold stares. Even though no words had been spoken, he could hear their words behind his back. Who were they to laugh at him? His upper lip curled in a snarl, and he spun on his heel, making his way through the crowd, along the same path his prey had laid out for him. He brushed past body after body, knocking them out of the way as he passed. Any sense of self control he had once felt had melted now, and he was a man on a mission. He finally made it out of the crowd just as the double doors swung closed. He rushed forward, his pace quickening to a jog. He exploded through the doors before they had even come to be still again.

"Kivia!"

He scanned the hallway to his right and was met with nothing but a blanket of impenetrable darkness. Whipping his head around, he looked to his left to find a small group of figures in the stillness. He charged forward, and before he knew it, his trembling hand had reached inside of his jacket to find the cold metal of the Bloody Rose firm against his heaving chest. As he got closer, the face of every girl came clearly into view. Surprise shone brightly on all of their faces as he reached out, grabbing hold firmly of Kivia's wrist.

"I was talking to her."

Kivia stayed silent, but the same blonde girl sporting glasses as before piped up in her place.

"Hey! Zero, you can't treat her like that! You think just because-"

Zero wrenched his shaking hand from its confines, and a sliver of moonlight flashed across the silver of his weapon as he drew it. A collective gasp rang out between the girls, and their 'leader' took a stumbling step back upon realizing that she was now staring down the barrel of a gun. Though Zero knew without a doubt in his mind that the Bloody Rose could not harm her even if he willed it too, Zero was unsure if she was aware of this fact as well. By the fear in her eyes he assumed not.

"Get out of here! All of you!"

Though they hesitated, the girls backed away slowly. He turned to look at Kivia, standing unmoving at his side. He heard the clatter of footsteps, as the other girls skittered quickly away from them. He lowered his arm to his side, feeling the cool metal against his thigh through his slacks. Kivia's eyes moved downwards with his weapon, and though he knew it was fear in her eyes, he couldn't help but feel a pulse when her lips parted in surprise.

"Zero...I-"

"I'm sorry Kivia, I can't..."

He pressed into her, driving her back until her back met the wall behind her. He pinned her there, watching as her eyes finally met his. As he locked gaze with her megawatt eyes, he felt as if he had been shocked to life. A tense lifting sprung to life between his legs, and he smiled when she sucked in a deep breath. He knew she felt it too. Her hands came up, pressed flat against his chest, and he shivered when he felt her warmth even though his uniform.

"Zero...please... You're scaring me…"

He shook his head, and brought his free hand up to run through her hair. He watched her lips as they said his name and another pulse resounded within him, this time causing a throb from his stiffening erection. Without a word, he leaned down to her, brushing his lips across hers carefully. A small squeak escaped her throat, and he found himself smiling against her once more. She turned her head away, breaking their contact, and instantly Zero missed the taste of her. Before he could stop himself, his skeletal fingers grabbed her chin, forcing her to look his way.

"I'm sorry, Kivia. I need this."

In one fluid movement, he bent down and hooked her thigh over his forearm, opening her before him. Licking his lips, his mind began to swim from the feeling of the smooth skin of her inner thigh resting on his fingertips. Leaning into her, he ran his tongue along the flesh of her lower jaw, and the taste of her brought that familiar feeling of bloodlust and need.

"Zero! Stop!"

She pushed harder against him, twisting in his grasp. Growling, he gave her chin a rough squeeze, silencing her instantly. Though she still fought him, he felt more in control now. His tongue lashed out, licking up her neck, feeling the rivers of blood thrumming just below the surface. Using his free hand he pushed her skirt up, exposing a pair of plain white cotton panties. Such a sight had his excitement mounting more than he had ever experienced before. Pulling her panties to the side, Zero ran his thumb across that sensitive part of her and she gasped loudly. He chuckled, deep in his throat. Biting her lower lip, she turned her face away, a look of shame crossing her features.

"Zero, I don't want to do this..."

He swiped his thumb across her again, and placed a single finger at her entrance. His fingers sank deeper until he pressed into her, and lingered there. His grin turned sly, and he chuckled.

"I think you're lying."

Her eyes, wide and innocent, locked on his once more and she looked shocked. "I didn't..."

Forceful, almost too roughly, he pushed another finger into her and she gasped, pulling away from him and rapping the back of her skull against the window pane. He chuckled again, this time deep in his throat, an intense, dark sound.

"You are dripping wet..."

She sucked in a deep breath and shivered. He leaned into her, slowly pulling his fingers out, and then without warning thrusting them back into her until she squealed.

"Kivia..."

"Huh?"

"Tell me you want it."

Frantically, she shook her head, her long hair flying around her. He pushed into her again, brushing against a sensitive spot inside of her, and she straightened.

"Tell me, Kivia."

"I can't! Zero, I'm scared"

He pulled her leg up, wrapping it around his waist, and removed his hand from her thigh. He brought his hand up, the bloody rose still clutched in his trembling fingers. He pressed it beneath her chin, and he saw her flinch as the cold metal came into contact with her heated skin. He pushed, forcing her head back against the window. He went forward until his lips touched the shell of her ear, and when he spoke his voice was a soft whisper.

"Say it."

She gulped, and finally "I want you, Zero."

Finally content, a smile graced his chiseled features. With his free hand, he tugged at his zipper, and then his fingers disappeared into the confines of his slacks. When they reappeared, he brought his throbbing manhood with them. Shuffling his feet, he readjusted himself and brought his hips closer to her. When he touched himself to that aching, yearning part of her, she shivered again, but stayed silent.

Carefully, he positioned himself at her entrance and began to push forward, slowly parting her flesh and making his way into her hot core. She groaned, and he watched her throat pulse as she swallowed hard. When he was finally fully inside of her, something inside of her gave way before him, and she let out a whimper. A sudden sweet scent filled the air, and a sudden pressure wrapped around Zero's brain. A sudden numbness flashed throughout his soul, and he shivered.

Blood.

That smell, that intoxicating aroma. She was bleeding.

Breathing in, he leaned back to look at her and felt his eyes pulling towards the swell of her throat. He shook himself and returned his gaze to her eyes. What he saw there rocked his core. A tear slipped from each eye, slowly falling down her cheek and racing down her neck. As he watched their descent, he was once again drawn to the bulging veins beneath her flesh. A sudden convulsion gripped her body, and as she shivered against him, he loosened his grip on the gun. A guilt had gripped him, and he suddenly felt terrible for his roughness. Her chin lowered until he stared into her eyes, though it still stayed propped against her jaw. Something grabbed his mind in a stranglehold and refused to let him go.

As he watched, Kivia changed positions, tilting her hips against him. She moved around him, and her tight, wetness slid against him. He hissed between his teeth, and found his already limited hold on what self-control he had had left to begin slipping through his fingers, smashing against the floor into a million pieces. He pulled out of her, and smashed back into her with enough force to grind her hips back against the cement she leaned upon.

She cried out, a muffled groan against clenched teeth. Without even a second of hesitation, he slipped out and pressed into her one more time. She called out again, this time a small moan beneath trembling lips. He continued his pace, rocking against her, never taking his eyes away from her heaving throat. He gulped, trying in vain to push away his sinful desires and his monstrous needs. With a shaking hand, he pushed a lock of her hair away from her neck, and grinned at all of the curves and lines exposed to him.

His hand holding the weapon began to weaken and it dropped from its place at her jaw, to an area just above her heart, his hand resting against her breast. The skin below her chin had reddened from the barrel of the gun, and he felt a sense of pain when he saw the painful looking mark blemish her creamy skin. He sighed, and though never stopping or even slowing his pace, leaned against her to press his lips against her sore, irritated skin. Once again, he felt her shiver. He inhaled deeply, and the scent of her blood was now mingled with the scent of her flesh. He felt the pulsing of her blood beneath his lips, and he pressed forward with renewed urgency and need.

He ran his fingers up her neck and into her hair, entangling his skeletal fingers deep in her midnight locks, close to the scalp. Growling deep in his throat, he yanked her head back, exposing her throat to him. She yelped, and convulsed once more, her core contracting around him. A wave of pleasure smacked into his brain and he groaned. He trailed a pattern of kisses along her jaw line, slowly making his way to the side of her neck, nuzzling his nose against her ear.

The sudden squeak of a door sounded behind them, and though Zero took notice, he didn't slow his motions. He had his heart set on a target and at this moment his determination was set. He heard a sudden intake of breath and hurried footsteps.

"Zero! What are you doing!"

Kaien Cross appeared at his side, and Zero felt a possessive demon erupt inside of him. He grunted and attempted to turn away, but before he could move, the headmaster was on him.

"Zero! Stop! You can't do this!"

Zero's grunt lowered into a menacing growl, and he pulled his lips back in a snarl. A sudden rushed feeling came over him, and he trained his eyes back to his prey. Her eyes were wide, frightened, and the cheeks had flushed a scarlet hue that seemed almost to glow in the dark. As Zero watched, she gulped, and the muscles in her throat jumped. An arm grabbed roughly at his shoulders and wrenched him back, and he felt his will break. He felt as if he had been shoved over an edge he had been fighting to balance upon, and he fell forward, his lips against her jugular. A voice to his left grated against his nerves, and he twitched with annoyance.

"Zero! Don't do it!"

Again, he felt hands pulling at his shoulder, yanking on him in an attempt to restrain him. With a snarl like a rabid beast, he threw his arm out and back, knocking his newfound rival back and off of him. Taking advantage of what he saw as his only opportunity, he pounced. He plowed into her, his teeth poking through her creamy, white skin in one smooth, fluid movement. A flood of blood poured into his open mouth and he moaned at the taste.

Beneath him Kivia stiffened, her breathing catching in her chest against him. She moaned deep in her throat, and Zero felt the vibrations against his lips. The flow of blessed elixir over his tongue and down his throat gave him a rush of drunken passion and he pounded against her with a bestial wrath. He felt a coil tightening in the pit of his stomach, and a burning fire radiated through every limb. Kivia let out a yelp, her hands coming up to clutch at his shoulders as if hanging on for dear life.

"Zero! Stop! You're going to kill her!"

The headmaster's words brought him to reality with an unpleasant jolt and he slowly pulled his lips away from her neck. He leaned back, looking up to study her expression. She had visibly paled and though her eyes were still lidded from her passion, she seemed suddenly so fragile. His tongue lashed out, swiping across his lips to taste what lingered of her essence. The taste threw a debilitating right hook to his already cracked willpower. Dropping the Bloody Rose to the floor with a clatter, he dropped his hands to her swaying hips and pulled her close to him. This change in position caused a mind numbingly sweet change in sensation, and he felt a renewed fire burning within him.

"Oh, fuck...so tight."

He felt another hard tug on his shoulder, but found he couldn't be bothered with it. Choking back a gasp, he emptied himself inside of her as he felt her breath escape in a whoosh of air. As he felt himself growing weak, another hand grasped him around the throat in an unforgiving chokehold and he was pulled back and off of her. Stumbling, he lost his footing and landed hard on the unforgiving ground. From his place against the cold floor, he looked back up at her, and was shocked at what he saw.

As he watched, she swayed on her feet, and finally collapsed forward onto her knees. Her hair fell in a curtain around the front of her face, and he felt something inside of him break when he heard her whimper.

"Kivia..."

His voice was an inaudible croak in his dry throat, and he forced himself to look away from the mess he had created. His hands came up to clutch at the headmaster's forearm, still clamped around his throat. His eyes once again were drawn to the panting girl on the floor before him, and he felt a bubbling pit of guilt rising like bile in his windpipe. As he watched her, she lifted her head to look at him. As he locked eyes with her, he felt the air around him thicken, and his vision began to darken. Struggling against his captor, he pulled against the headmaster's arms.

The weight on his throat bore down with an intensity he had never experienced, and finally, his world blackened and he felt his body go limp as he faded away.


	2. chapter 2

"Zero, what were you thinking?!"

Zero shook his head, still unable to bring himself to make eye contact. It had been a couple of hours since the incident during the dance with Kivia. He hadn't seen her upon waking, though he had looked around every corner as he had been lead to the headmaster's office. Toga Yagari had been sent to talk to her according to the headmaster. Zero couldn't help but smirk at this news. he couldn't even imagine what the head of the Vampire Hunters Association would say about a situation such as this.

"Zero, do you have any idea what will happen? What the association will say if they get wind of this? Attacking a student?! Zero, how could you do such a thing?"

Finally, Zero raised his eyes to look at his adoptive father for the first time since the lecture began and what he saw was no surprise. The ex-vampire hunter was pacing, looking utterly distraught and broken down. He appeared as a man in chains, struggling and fighting with the ties that bound him. Now he was watching, staring at his only remaining child with a look of pure pleading, to which Zero didn't know an answer. Finally, the young vampire's lips parted and the voice that slithered from between his lips was low and scared sounding.

"I don't know why...I don't know..."

The headmaster's sigh was a whoosh of discontentment and he resumed pacing, his hand rising to his forehead as if fighting a debilitating migraine. After a few more moments of pacing, the headmaster turned on his heel, facing Zero. Slowly, the look of worry morphed into a sad smile and his hand fell from his forehead.

"Zero...I need you to understand the gravity of this situation. If the Hunters Association finds out-"

His sentence was both interrupted and finished by a new voice as the double doors slowly creaked open. "They'll kill you, Zero."

Toga Yaguri stepped through the doors with a solemn look crossing his features, his eyes turning fleetingly towards Zero before placing his attention rightfully on his fellow vampire hunter. Kaien was the first between them to speak, "What did she say?"

Yagari shook his head, pulling an unlit cigarette from the inner workings of his coat. From yet another pocket he produced a match and as he strode past the young vampire he struck it on the back of the chair Zero sat upon. The flame hissed and sizzled as he brought it to the thin white stick clutched between his pursed lips.

Finally, he took a long drag, and when he exhaled, his reply was short. "Not much."

The headmaster threw his arms up in exasperation and made a sound of annoyed distaste in his throat. "What did you ask her, Toga?"

"I asked her what happened."

"And?"

Yagari flashed a slightly annoyed look towards the headmaster and then towards Zero, "She said she told Zero she wanted it."

Zero's head snapped up at the words and he felt his heart slam into his rib cage with the force of an out of control eighteen wheeler. Though he was anything but proud of himself for the atrocity he had committed in his blood lust, he knew the words she spoke had been coaxed from her unfairly. If Yagari's words were to be believed, she appeared to be protecting Zero...but why?

The headmaster looked stunned, his eyes darting back and forth between Zero and Yagari, yet he said nothing.

"She's obviously lying" Yagari stated simply, taking another drag off of his quickly dwindling smoke. Zero sighed.

The headmaster shook his head, "How do you know she's lying?"

Yagari erupted with an almost painfully sarcastic chuckle, "Because I saw what happened. You had to rip him off of her. He was holding a gun to her head."

The headmaster turned away slowly, "But he-"

"He bit her!"

Zero gulped, his head hanging even lower. He felt sick. Since Yuuki left, he was unable to keep his grip on the sickening madness within him. It all felt like a lead ball in the pit of his stomach. Everything had gone to hell in a handbasket faster than he could even figure out what he had done. He sighed and slowly got to his feet.

Without a word, the headmaster stepped into his path, standing between Zero and the doors. Zero narrowed his eyes, but stayed silent. Instead, Kaien was the one who spoke.

"You cannot leave this room unescorted, Zero. I'm sorry..."

Before Zero could argue, his former master took a step forward, "I'll take him to his room, Kaien."

Yagari stepped to the door, twisted the knob, and yanked the door open forcefully. Without a word or even a backward glance at his father, Zero disappeared though the door. Yagari followed him silently and as the door creaked shut behind him, he heard Kaien's words, almost whispered after him.

"Lock him in, Toga."

When Yagari was certain they were far enough from the headmaster that they were out of earshot, he quickened his pace and matched pace with Zero.

"Zero, listen..."

A hand held up to silence him, and Zero shook his head. "Just leave me alone."

Yagari gave a grunt of annoyance, and lashed out to grab Zero's arm. He held the young vampire firmly, and the look Zero shot him over one shoulder was one of pure malice. Despite, or possibly because of this look, Yagari plowed forward.

"No! Zero, you need to listen to me. I have been on your side since day one, despite what you have become. And if you think that isn't hard for me, you're sadly mistaken. Even tonight, after I saw what you had done, all I could think about was how to get you out of this mess. If any other vampire had done this in front of my eyes I would have taken them out with no remorse. Not you, Zero. I have given a lot to save your ass. As long as you are sane I will continue to do so. Tonight, when I saw what you had done...for the first time since coming to this school I have questioned your sanity. Truly questioned it."

With a grunt, Zero wrenched his arm from his former master's grasp, mumbling beneath his breath. "I'm still sane enough to know that I fucked up."

Yagari shrugged and stepped around the young vampire, continuing along the corridor. "That's good enough for me. Level E vampires don't feel remorse."

"I'm not a level E..."

Zero's mumbled response was said more for his own gain than anyone else's, though Yagari heard it loud and clear.

They continued in silence until they arrived outside of Zero's bedroom door. Reaching out, Zero rested his hand upon the knob and sighed.

"So what's going to happen?"

Yagari shrugged, "I don't know. I'm going to talk to the headmaster now. We will try out best not to let the Association get wind of this, but there is only so much we can do."

As Zero turned to retreat into his bedroom, Yagari stopped him with a gentle hand upon his shoulder. "I'm sorry Zero...but I'm going to have to take the Bloody Rose from you."

Zero's mouth dropped open in disbelief. He suddenly became very aware of the weight of his weapon against his side.

"What?!"

Yagari shook his head, "I'm sorry, Zero. It's a matter of safety for the students."

Wracking his brain for any excuse, Zero sadly came up empty. With a heavy heart, he reached into his coat and carefully unhooked the gun from its chain. Glancing away, he handed the gun, butt first, towards his fellow vampire hunter. Yagari took it gently and tucked it into his belt.

Zero nodded, and without another word twisted the door knob and disappeared inside.

As Zero pushed the door firmly closed and stepped away, he heard the tinkling of metal upon metal.

Keys.

Before he could even reach for the knob, the firm and damning sound of the lock sliding into place echoed throughout the room. From the other side of the solid wooden door to his prison, Zero heard Yagari's voice loud and clear.

"I'm sorry Zero. Headmaster's orders..."

Backing against the door, Zero's head hung low, his hair throwing his hyacinth eyes into a deep shadow. When his back hit the door he slid to the floor, his knees pressed firmly against his chest.

Yagari pushed the door open to find Headmaster Cross sitting slumped in his chair, his head in his hands. His old friend oozed an aura of defeat and confusion. When Kaien turned to face him, the look in his eyes was nothing less than a father at his wits' end. Yagari stepped forward and produced the Bloody Rose from his waistband. As he held it up, the light glinted across its smooth metal surface like a star from the dark reaches of space.

He sat it on the table between himself and the headmaster and when Kaien's eyes caught it, he gasped audibly.

"You took the..."

Yagari nodded, flopping down into an overstuffed armchair off to his right. He had never seen his old friend look so disappointed. Yagari sighed. He understood the symbolism of the Bloody Rose. He understood the metaphor. He also understood the danger.

"I'm sorry, Kaien. He's using it to harm students. Until he gets his head back I think he needs to stay unarmed."

Kaien shook his head, his mouth gaping open. Since its appearance, he had been unable to tear his eyes away from the Bloody Rose.

"Toga, that is an anti-vampire weapon. It cannot harm anyone in the day class. It was meant to help Zero keep control of the night class and-"

"Well the night class is gone so he has no need for it."

Kaien's expression changed from one of shock to one of sad understanding. He sighed, running a hand through his bangs. "You're right."

A silence stretched between them for a moment, before Toga finally broke it.

"So what are you planning?"

Kaien sat back, his elbows on his desk and his fingers tented before his face. He sighed, and his voice was barely a whisper when his thoughts finally came in audible form.

"If Kivia is released back amongst the students, she could tell someone about-"

Yagari shot to his feet like a bullet, "What are you planning?!"

The calm on his face was eerie and almost seemed out of place, and Kaien shook his head sadly, "She must be quarantined."

"You've lost your mind!"

"Zero is all I have left, Toga."

Yagari growled, his anger bubbling to the surface, "You cannot keep a teenage girl prisoner to protect a vampire!"

"Let us not forget what vampire we are speaking of, Toga."

Yagari shook his head, reaching into his pocket, searching blindly for his addiction. After a moment, he produced another smoke and stuck it a little less than gently between his lips.

"What if the Association finds out what you're doing?"

"What am I doing?"

"Imprisoning an innocent girl to protect Zero!?"

Kaien Cross shook his head, slowly rising from his seat, "It's for her safety"

Yagari's breath shot out of him in a huff of annoyance, and he shook his head. "What are you planning on doing? You have to let her out eventually. People are going to ask about her. She has friends. Rumors will start. This can't go on forever. What will you do when it's the end? How far are you willing to go to keep this a secret?"

Kaien replied with a sigh, "I don't know, Toga..."

Yagari turned, making his way to the door, shaking his head. With his back turned, the headmasters next question was more than a surprise.

"She has no parents. Shes an orphan. If I send her away from the school she will go back to an orphanage, where she has no friends... Is that what you would prefer?"

"Of course not! I don't want her to suffer alone either way."

"It seems to me that you care an awful lot for the fate of this girl..."

Turning to look over his shoulder with the speed of a striking viper, Yagari looked less than amused. After thoroughly studying his old friend, he disappeared out of the doors without a word.


	3. Chapter 3

The voices.

What bothered him most was the rumors. The stares and hushed gasps as he passed didn't bother him as much as what he heard. The wide eyed staring didn't even mean anything compared to what they were saying.

"Where is she? Did you see him do it?"

"No, no one saw it. No one has seen Kivia either, though..."

"Maybe he killed her?

"I think if he killed her they would have made him leave school..."

"Well Arria said he grabbed Kivia at the dance. Everyone saw THAT"

As he rounded a corner, the voices faded to a low murmur and he was spared their rumors. Sighing, Zero shook his head, silently grateful that he seemed to be alone in the corridor. Steadily, he continued walking until he turned another corner. He watched the ground as he walked, trying to push thoughts out of his head, but in the end, they came faster than his internal filter.

Yuuki, and her final words upon departing.

Kivia, and the fearful weepy look in her eyes that Zero had seen before blacking out.

Yagari, and his look of stoic disappointment upon escorting Zero to his room...where he sat...alone.

In the night his sleep had been nothing but wishful thinking, his thoughts keeping him awake and stirring. Late, before dawn, he had brought his hand before his eyes to push ropey strands of hair away from his forehead. When his long, slender fingers had come before his tired, bloodshot eyes, he had seen it.

Blood.

Smears of dried blood caked to two of his fingers.

Bringing it to his nostrils, he immediately smelled her scent and took a ragged breath.

Blood. Blood drawn by his actions. Drawn by his lust and forced by his need.

He smelled the blood once again, and this time he reveled in the scent. The taste of her blood, so sweet and so smooth, perfect. Utterly and completely an elixirs sent straight from the Gods. A sudden thought struck him, and he pulled his hand away from his nose, his eyes narrowed in an expression of puzzlement.

When he bit her, her blood had poured straight down his throat and coated his lips, but not a drop had escaped him. This blood was different, yet it was hers. He wracked his brain for the source, though he couldn't remember scratching or hurting her in any way other than when he-

A sudden realization hit him like a ton of bricks, and his body reacted by sending the majority of his blood flow south, until his brain felt slow and numb.

He backtracked to the moment he first saw her at the dance, the perfectly timed swish of her hips and the euphoric look of pure euphoria on her face while dancing. The scared, innocent look on her face when he had first touched that secret spot of her. The gasp and then the scent of blood in the air.

The sound of her innocence being ripped from her flesh and drawing blood. An angel with clipped wings, the Goddess had finally fallen to earth. This knowledge drove a metaphorical stake into Zero's heart and he slammed his eyes closed now, as he walked alone down a darkening school corridor after class.

He sighed, and as he placed his hand upon the banister to begin climbing the stairs to his room, he smelled her once more, just like in his daydream, yet when he glanced down at his hand, it was as clean as it had been this morning when he had scrubbed it beneath scalding water, trying in vein to scrub his sin from his fingertips.

He inhaled sharply, and another waft of her fragrance slammed into his gut like a wrecking ball. This scent was no different from the scent he had smelled the night before, of her dried blood under his fingernails. At this moment, in this corridor so far away from where the situation had occured, the scent was so strong. This scent was maddeningly close.

Silently cursing himself, he turned. looking down the hallway opposite from which he came. Abandoning the banister he had been clutching so tightly, he took a few steps into the dark hallway. After a moment he stopped, listening intently. He was drawn to a door down the hall to his right. Looking around, a look of utter confusion folded his features. This hallway was unused, abandoned. Why would she be here?

XXXXXXXXXXXX

For her own good.

Kivia sighed. Looking around at the 4 walls all day had done nothing but depress her further. According to the headmaster, despite her most intense protests, staying here alone was for her own good. She hated that phrase. Everyone always acted like she was nothing but a child. An infant, helpless, completely dependant on another for self preservation. Such a thought did nothing but morph her depression into aggravation.

She turned over, rolling to face the door. This room, so small and so quiet, consisted of a bed with a sheet and nothing more. The room was slowly darkening to black, the cutainless window showing her the sun sinking behind a line of trees in the distance. She glanced towards the light switch near the door but didnt even attempt to sit up. Weather the room was dark or not made no difference to her. She felt like a prisoner in the place she once loved. This kingdom where she was whole. This school was once her fairytale vacation, was now her cell.

Footsteps outside the door reached her ears, and she strained her eyes in the failing light to watch the door. After a moment, she heard the rustle of the handle against its metal plate. Someone turning the handle from the outside. More than likely it would be the headmaster or the former teacher of the night class here to interrogate her. She sighed and lifted her eyes to the window once more, watching as the sun sank lower and lower.

For an eternity, the handle spun in the door, and finally, she heard the click as it was turned, finally, to open it.

The groan of the door swinging open on its hinges was like the wail of a banshee in the night, yet still, Kivia refused to turn around. She sighed, pulling her legs up, curling into a ball. She had no desire to speak to anyone who would come for her through that door.

"Kivia..."

The voice that finally called out to her was different than what she had been expecting, and her heart made an acrobat flip into her throat, hammering against her voice box. Slowly, she turned to glance at the door, and when she saw that shock of silver hair, her breath hitched in her lungs.

"Zero?"

Her voice was a small squeak, and she wasn't sure even if he had heard her. A step into the room told her he did. He nudged the door closed with his heel, but stayed near the door as he watched her. His eyes, those fathomless eyes, roved patterns across her face, and she suddenly felt naked. She propped herself up on her elbows to look at him, and he raised his face to look into her eyes. She searched her mind for something to say, and forced the words from her lips, her voice a whisper.

"Zero, how did you get the door open? I thought it was locked..."

He shrugged, yet stayed silent. Never daring to take her eyes off of him, Kivia pushed herself up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed until she sat upright, facing him. Standing pressed against the door, he looked so small and fleeting, and Kivia smiled at the irony,

Small, scared and fragile. Exactly as she had felt last night when clutched in his strong arms, held against his chest, exposed and opened for him. He had had her in his control during those moments, though he never knew it was the best form of overkill.

When Kivia first came to this school barely over a year ago, she had found herself infatuated with Zero, though she had never spoken the words out loud. Not even to her group of friends. Kivia knew more than certainly how she would be perceived if she admitted her feelings for someone her best friend Arria thought of as "mean" and "favored".

No one knew, and as long as she could contain it, no one would find out. Last night, after the incident and the questioning that followed, she had laid in this bed alone, smelling his scent against her shirt. When she had finally stripped it from her heaving bosom, his scent had sent her over an edge she had never even known she was teetering upon, and she had allowed her hand to sink between her legs, touching herself in the place Zero had touched her. Spilling down her legs and across her fingers, she had called out in the darkness, his name falling from her swollen, bitten lips.

Now, that he stood here, finally with her in this place where she had touched herself and called out his name, she couldn't bring herself to look into his eyes. She blushed crimson at the thought and could only pray he didn't notice.

"Kivia..."

"Hi Zero..."

Still he stayed by the door, and she still couldn't manage to look at him. Though she felt the heat in her face slowly fading away, she was still embarrassed.

"Why are you...locked in here?"

Kivia shrugged. She didn't know what to say to him. She still felt like a scared little girl, lost in his world and chained by his very presence. Little did he know, he owned her body, mind and soul.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A silence stretched between them, and finally Zero strode over to her, watching her as he walked. Part of him feared her reaction if he got any closer, and part of him wanted to be near her. He was torn cleanly down the middle of him emotions, and he didnt know how to react even within his own head. When he finally made it to the bed upon which she sat, her scent smacked him in the face with the hand of lust, and it was all he could do not to reach out and caress her cheek.

Slowly, he lowered himself down to the bed beside her and glanced over at her. In the quickly closing in darkness, her eyes were a mask of shadows. He couldn't read her eyes, and therefore didn't know weather to stay or go. Gathering all of his courage, he opened his mouth to speak. His first attempt was voiced as nothing but a weak squeak. He cleared his throat to try again, and she jumped visibly as if startled. Zero sighed.

This had been what he feared all along. After his monstrous actions the night before, she was terrified, and in his mind rightly so. He was stupid to think she would even want to see him after what he had done to her. Feeling as if the last remaining chance he could have had to right his wrong was slipping through his fingers, his spoken words were rushed.

"I'm sorry Kivia. I'm really sorry for what happened. I Don't know why I'm so stupid..."

She smiled to herself, and finally glanced over at him. He looked completely and utterly defeated and it made her feel somehow guilty.

"Its okay, Zero"

He shook his head hard, "No it isn't! I shouldn't have done that to you..."

Zero stopped, slowly turning his head to look at Kivia. Between them, she had laid her hand gently upon his knee. The warmth of her flesh through his slacks calmed him, and as he watched she smiled. She brought a hand up to flip a chunk of hair behind her ear. He caught of glimpse of two deep punctures on the porcelain skin of her neck, and a flash of guilt struck him like a lightning bolt.

He felt terrible. He had used her for her body and her blood. He had taken her, ravaged her, and now she was stuck, alone in this room. Imprisoned against her will, just like Yuuki.

The thought of Yuuki struck his mind in a painful grip, and he sighed.

"Zero, its okay...I..liked it"

His head snapped up and he thought of last night. When Yagari had told the headmaster of her words after talking to her. She told them she had wanted it. She had protected him. She had been there for him even after what he had done to her.

"I wasn't lying Zero, when I told you I wanted you. I was just scared. For a really long time I had been hoping you'd notice me, and then when you did it happened so fast. " She paused, nervous, "Zero, I did want it. I have for a long time...and I still do"

As she finished speaking, Zero turned towards her, disbelieving.

Yuuki had taken his heart with her when she went. She had drug him through the dirt and shattered him and his self esteem into so many pieces he thought they could never be normal. Even normal was not ideal, if he were to be honest. His life had been a puzzle of lies and pain, and through it all he had been so caught up in everything he barely noticed the passage of time, yet...

"Kivia..."

As Kivia leaned towards him, one hand came up to run through his hair. Before he could think or even breathe, he felt her breath against his face, and his eyes slid closed. A shiver came over him as he felt her lips press against his own, soft and tender against his own. At that moment, all he knew was her. After what seemed like an eternity, she pulled away from him, her lips wet from a sheen of saliva, shimmering in the barely-there moonlight. Sighing, Zero stood up slowly, not taking his eyes off of her.

"I'm gonna come back..."

"You're leaving?"

"If they find me in here..."

Kivia stood, darting to his side to grab his hand before he could turn. Staying silent, Zero watched her expression in the dull light.

"I don't want to be alone, Zero"

He squeezed her hand gently, yet shook his head. "Ill come back..."

Releasing her flesh, Zero made his way to the door, his head hung. He heard a shaking sob behind him, and knew he couldn't dare turn around. He couldn't bear seeing her cry again. He knew if he saw the look in her eyes, the look she had given him last night after their encounter, he would never be able to live with himself. Placing a hand on the knob, he quickly threw the door open and disappeared into the hallway. As he turned the lock to hide his presence in the room, he heard it, and drew a shivering breath.

She was crying.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello all! Thanks for all of the follows and faves and reviews! I really really appreciate it! I'm sorry its been so long since Ive updated, Ive been very busy! I hope you enjoy, and Lemme know what you think! Alot of very important plot twists are revealed in this chapter. Song is "so far away" by Red.**

~*~I am right here with you~*~  
~*~I couldn't be more close~*~

The taste of her skin was enough to shock his system like a lightning bolt. The way her flesh felt beneath his made his mind swim with thoughts he had never thought he would ever experience. A sliver of moonlight fell across her and revealed her to him, stark and exposed beneath him.

His eyes fell across every inch of her, and he felt his heart fall into his stomach. His mind wandered back to that first night. The night in the corridor when they had been discovered. Zero tried hard not to think of it, but seeing the pearly white scars on the side of her neck brought the memories back every time he saw her. He would rather see her and suffer through the guilt than stay away from her to spare himself the pain.

Yet every time he saw her, all he could think about was Yuuki. Why was he doing this? Were these feelings for Kivia, or was he trying to purge himself of thoughts of his former life? His life with Yuuki...

~*~Pretending that I'm in this moment,~*~  
~*~When I'm only a ghost~*~

He brought himself back to the present when he felt her hands upon him, pulling him closer to her. Silken tendrils of coal black hair laid across her pillow like a midnight waterfall, in perfect contrast to her ghostly pale skin. His eyes fell across her face as she looked up at him, seeing the depths of her soul through her shadowed eyes. Almost every night for nearly a month he had come to her room at night, careful not to give away their secret, and yet he still found himself trapped in the depths of her fathomless eyes. When she spoke, he found himself pulled back to reality, almost as if her words had broken a powerful hypnosis.

"Zero..."

"Yea?"

"Are you okay?"

He nodded, not saying a word. Instead, he leaned over her and down to her, pressing into her until they became one. Kivia let out a moaning gasp, arching to meet him. With barely a moment of rest, he began to move, and her breath came faster. She wrapped her arms around him, her fingers entwined behind his neck, pulling him down until he was pressed into her body.

~*~I listen to the words you're saying~*~  
~*~Words I'm fighting to believe~*~

"Zero...I"

He looked up quickly, his breath catching in his throat. He felt his heart begin to pound, faster and harder against his ribcage until he felt the adrenaline burning like fire in his veins. He knew what she was about to say. He had heard it before, and the words coming from her mouth terrified him. He would give anything not to hear her say it again, but before he could stop her, she blurted out a phrase that nearly made his blood run cold.

"I love you, Zero"

Without a second thought he smashed his lips against hers, desperate to silence her. His mind was a tangled web of pain and lies. His heart hurt, shattered to pieces on the jagged rocks of betrayal. After everything that had happened, everything Yuuki had done, he was terrified of Kivias feelings.

~*~It's like I'm living from a distance~*~  
~*~When you're out of reach~*~

She protested against his kiss momentarily, but when he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her in to him, she relaxed in his arms. Guilt spread like a wildfire in his soul, and it took all of his willpower to push it down. Though this wasn't the first time she had told him of her feelings, he couldn't help the war that raged inside of him.

Though he knew he cared for her deeply, his idea of love was terribly broken and stitched together from shattered pieces of what he used to know. Everything he thought he had ever felt or known had been torn from him when Yuuki left as she did, though that seemed like so long ago now. Closing his eyes, he pulled away from her mouth and buried his nose in her neck, breathing deeply the sweet scent of her hair.

Everything inside of him screamed at him to release his walls. Let her in, and stop pushing her away, but his fear held him still. He didn't know if he would survive pain like that again...

~*~I wanna feel it,~*~  
~*~Want to mean it When I say it,~*~  
~*~Can you hear me at all?~*~

Pulling away from her, he pushed himself up until he could look at her. Her eyes fluttered behind closed lids, her mouth falling open as if in a silent scream, and he took in every inch of her. His eyes fell over her clavicle, down to her heaving breasts, and back up the taut lines of muscle and sinew in her neck. She seemed so angelic, innocent and fragile.

So...Human.

Zero felt a jab to the chest like a dagger to his heart, and he allowed his eyes to slide closed. Who was he kidding? Even if he did allow himself to get closer to his true emotions, this could never happen. He was dark, evil...a monster. She was so pure. All he would do was decimate her, tear her down like a paper effigy, and ruin her soul. He couldn't do it again.

He would not break her, as he himself had been broken.

~*~And I feel so far away, far away from everything~*~  
~*~Outside wondering when I got lost~*~  
~*~I threw my arms up in the air, why do I disappear~*~  
~*~How can your love be so close~*~  
~*~When I'm so far away?~*~

"Zero...Zero, harder"

His eyes snapped open and he looked down at her again. The intensity in her eyes broke his will, and he released a strangled cry from deep in his throat. Forcing any thought of pain from his mind, he melted into her, finding a quick pace, pushing harder until she let out a muffled cry. Feeling her body quiver beneath him drove him to a place of pure insanity, until he spilled his soul into her, every muscle tensing.

Spent and shivering from a combination of his fear and his exhaustion, he pulled away from her and watched her as she pulled back, wrapping herself around the sheet. She sighed, the unmarred whiteness of the sheet surrounding her a deep contrast to her sparkling twilight locks.

Momentarily he turned away from her, swinging his legs from the bed and attempting to stand. Fumbling in the blackness, he reached down to find his pants, crumpled in a pile on the floor beside the bed. Still shaking, his breath coming in gasps, he yanked them on and sat on the edge of the bed facing the window. He stared though the smudged glass to the forest beyond, the moon barely hidden behind a cluster of branches. He felt a hand touch his shoulder, and slowly he turned.

~*~Remember when you found me drowning~*~  
~*~You pulled me from the deepest end~*~

Without a word, she beckoned him towards her with a glimmer in her megawatt eyes. He smiled at her, though he felt nothing but sorrow in the pit of his stomach. She deserved all of him, though he was too afraid to even give her a piece of his heart. Crawling towards her, he leaned down to her on the bed, watching her eyes as she smiled. Her happiness was a genuine, uplifting emotion that he knew was the truth, and it only made him feel worse.

"Zero, stay"

"I cant, you know that..."

She shook her head, strands of black hair flying, "just until I fall asleep. I'm afraid to be alone..."

Feeling a tug at his heart, Zero nodded. There was no way he could deny her the comfort he himself had searched for his entire life. her grin widened with her joy, and she grabbed his hand, pulling him towards her. Rolling onto her side, she faced the wall, pulling Zero towards her. Carefully, he lay beside her, one arm draped over her waist, his free hand twisting a piece of her hair between his lithe fingers.

His eyes fell from her mass of onyx tendrils, down the soft curves of her shoulder and down to her hip. As he watched, her entangled her fingers in his, pulling him closer to her.

Her voice was only a whisper, but her words met his ears easily, "Don't leave me..."

"I'm here"

~*~I promised that I'll never leave you~*~  
~*~Now I'm drowning again~*~

After a short time, he felt her breathing grow shallow, her muscles relax against him. She had drifted off to sleep. Releasing her strands of hair, Zero moved away from her. He allowed her hand to fall from his grip as he pushed himself up onto all fours.

"Kivia...I am so sorry"

Though barely audible, his words broke the stillness like a hammer on glass. Just as he spoke, something within him broke and he felt a tidal wave of emotions rising like bile in his throat.

"I don't deserve you..."

Kivia sighed in her slumber, and the sound of it broke him. Taking in a quivering breath, Zero felt tears welling in the corners of his eyes. His mind raced through a never ending library of thoughts.

He hated himself inside, hated his inability to get over his past and the people who had broken him. He despised his weakness and the pain it would cause her in the end.

~*~It's killing me with every breath~*~  
~*~Witnessing the life I lived~*~

His head fell into his hands, his hands tugging at fistfuls of his own hair in his frustration. He couldn't do this anymore, couldn't take this. He replayed every meeting with Kivia and the tears ran faster, until his face was a mask of his pain. His inability to control his emotions had caused this entire mess.

His inability to fight his feelings had caused Kivia's world to crumble, and he couldn't get past the fact that he had hurt her. She wouldn't admit it, and every time he brought it up she disagreed, but he knew in his heart of hearts that she was suffering, and he had been the one to cause it. Silently, he allowed his sobs to overtake him, and he broke. Through his rain of tears, he turned his head to look at her. He would hurt her, and he knew it. The thought hit his heart like a thousand stabs.

He forced himself closer to her, his face buried in her hair, desperate for the scent of her. Breathing in her essence, he silently dissolved into her, wrapping his body around her's as he sobbed. Before he knew it, the world was falling away from him, and darkness took over his mind.

~*~Only you know who I am~*~  
~*~I'm reaching out my hand~*~

"ZERO!"

The young vampire was jerked from sleep as the door flew open, and a voice full of malice screamed his name in the close confines of the room. He jolted upright, his eyes wide and searching. Standing in the doorway, Kaien Cross looked less than amused.

"Zero, what are you doing?!"

Kivia jumped up beside him, clutching the sheet to her chest. Her eyes were electrified, full of confusion and fear. Her lower lip quivering, she dropped her head, turning away from the intruder, shaking in what Zero could only guess was a mix of apprehension and fear. Zero jumped to his feet, reaching down to scoop his shirt and jacket from their place on the floor. His mind was racing, his heart pounding. He could only imagine the trouble he would be in. He had never meant to fall asleep.

~*~I wanna feel it,~*~  
~*~Want to I mean it When I say it,~*~  
~*~Can you hear me at all?~*~

His eyes a smouldering fire of anger, the headmaster rushed forward, reaching out to grab Zeros wrist in a death grip.

"Do you have ANY idea what you've done, Zero?! How long has this been going on?"

Wrenching his arm from his fathers grasp, Zero swatted him away. In his rush, his nail raked across the retired vampire hunters flesh, drawing a bead of blood. Though he noticed it immediately, he could only hope he could fight his urges.

"Why is she locked in this room?!" He shouted at the headmaster, his hands balled into shaking fists. "I'm the one who fucked up, not her!"

In his anger, he had failed to notice that the older man was not even listening. Kaien Cross stood statue-still, barely moving or even breathing. Zero took in a deep breath, forcing himself to come down from his mountain of anger. Following his headmasters eyes, he turned to look at Kivia. What he saw there nearly knocked him flat.

~*~And I feel so far away, far away from everything~*~  
~*~Outside wondering when I got lost~*~  
~*~I threw my arms up in the air, why do I disappear?~*~  
~*~How can your love be so close,~*~  
~*~When I'm so far away?~*~

Kivia was shaking, facing away from them, her back to the door. The sheet still clung to her Lilly-white flesh, but it had slipped down her back, pooling around the curve of her hips. Her hair hung in her face, hiding her face from them, but it was the symbol on her back that stopped Zero in his tracks.

On her right shoulder, just below the curve of her shoulder blade, a swatch of black ink was surprising in not only its contrast to her flesh, but because of its shape. A vampire hunters mark.

Absentmindedly, Zero clapped his hand against the side of his neck, hiding his own tattoo from view, his mind running in rapid circles until he felt lightheaded and weak.

~*~And I don't wanna waste time~*~  
~*~Living a half-life~*~  
~*~Are you listening?~*~  
~*~Now give it back to me!~*~

"Shes...a vampire?"

Though it sounded like Zero's voice, his hadn't even felt himself speak. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her. Facing the window, she shook, her arms wrapped around herself as if protecting from the cold. Slowly, Kaien Cross placed a hand on Zeros shoulder, though he never took his eyes from the young woman on the bed.

"Zero...we need to leave"

Zero opened his mouth to speak, but it was another's voice that rang throughout the room instead. Though he recognized the musical sound of her, he didn't believe the words.

"I...can smell...your blood"

Zero felt his stomach tie itself in a squirming, painful knot, and he swallowed dryly. How could he have not known? After all this time she had not bitten him, had not even attempted it. With his thoughts far away, he barely noticed when she began to rise from her knees.

The headmaster pulled him back, yanking him towards the door, their only escape from the room. He couldn't look away from her, a mixture of fear and curiosity drove him, and he pushed the headmasters hand away.

"Zero! We have to leave! NOW!"

Slowly, without a word or even a sign of emotion, Zero shook his head. He could not leave her now. At this moment, this sliver in time, she understood his struggles, and he understood her pain, and he felt himself being drawn to her.

~*~I remember everything~*~  
~*~The way it used to be.~*~  
~*~Yeah give it back to me~*~  
~*~I hear your voice~*~  
~*~But inside I'm lost.~*~

Kivia turned, slowly and gracefully stepping off of the bed and onto the hard, wooden floor beneath. Finally, she raised her eyes to look at them, and what Zero saw there made his heart ache.

Her eyes, her deep, understanding eyes, had changed to a deep cherry-red, glowing and pulsing. These eyes, these sinister, hollow eyes, were not the eyes he had looked into during the night before. These eyes did not belong to the girl who had confessed her love to him in the throes of passion.

These eyes were dead. These were the eyes of a demon.

"Kivia..."

He spoke her name slowly, and she cocked her head to one side at the sound of his voice. Kaien Cross took a step back beside him, and Zero watched Kivia's eyes pulse like a viper about to strike.

"Kivia, don't do this!" Zero was practically begging, pleading with her to come out of her trance like state, but when she took a step forward, he knew she could not obey him.

"get away from her!" Came a voice from the hall behind them, and that's when Kivia pounced, the sheet, though still clinging to her frame, flying out behind her like a cape as she ran.

~*~And I feel so far away, far away from everything~*~  
~*~Outside wondering when I got lost~*~  
~*~I threw my arms up in the air, why do I disappear~*~  
~*~How can your love be so close,~*~  
~*~When I'm so far away?~*~

Zero felt himself being pushed, and he was knocked to the ground as a figure stepped around him, intersecting Kivia before she could close the gap between herself and her intended prey. Zero hit the ground with the palms of his shaking hands, and let out a cry of pain as he landed.

A sound filled the room, frighteningly loud and otherworldly, and when Zero looked up, Kivia was on the ground.

"Toga! Don't hurt her!" Kaien Cross called to his colleague from his place on the floor.

Zero watched as his former master pinned the small girl to the ground, twisting an arm behind her back. She bucked and writhed beneath him, growling deep in her throat in protest. Breathing heavily, Yagari reached inside of his jacket, fishing for something deep in one of his pockets. Unable to think, or even breathe, Zero pushed himself onto his knees, falling back against the door frame as he watched.

Everything had changed to drastically and so suddenly that he suddenly felt sick to his stomach. Pressing his back against the hard wood of the door frame, he brought his hands up to run through his hair. As his hands passed his eyes, he was reminded of that night almost a month ago, when he had sat alone in his room with her blood caked to his fingers.

Yagari finally yanked his hand from within a pocket in his long coat, and what he revealed had Zero confused and afraid. A long silver chain wrapped around his fist, a glimmering diamond of silver hanging from between his fingers.

Zero pulled in a deep shivering breath, his mind numb and his heart pounding. Everything had gone so wrong so quickly, and he felt responsible.

Without a word, Yagari pressed her down to the floor, using his forearm against the back of her neck to force her down. Still growling, she fought him, but it was in vein. With steady hands, Yagari pressed the chain against the mark in the flesh of her shoulder, and her struggling ceased.

~*~I'm so far away~*~

Breathing heavily, Toga Yagari got to his feet, the glittering silver chain disappearing back into the pocket it had come from. Thought he had never seen him stand, Zero noticed the headmaster had gotten to his feet. Slowly, Zero watched his father approach the girl on the floor, now still and calm as if asleep.

"Toga..."

The vampire hunter said nothing, gave no explanation as he crouched beside Kivia. Careful to drape the sheet across her to cover her, he wrapped it over her hips and chest carefully, covering her to keep her decent.

"Toga...this girl...I didn't know she was a vampire"

With a sigh, Yagari shook his head. "I knew..."

Zero heard his father gasp, and it was all he could do to keep from releasing a sound of surprise of his own.

Carefully, gently, Toga Yagari inched his hand beneath Kivia's knees, his other hand coming up to scoop her shoulders towards him. He stood, holding her carefully in his arms, clutched almost lovingly to his chest.

"We need to take her to your office, Kaien"

The headmaster nodded in agreement as Yagari made his way through the door. With a sad smile, Kaien Cross turned towards his adopted son.

"Zero, you need to come with us"

~*~I'm so far away~*~


	5. Chapter 5

Zero stood just inside of the office as the headmaster pulled the double doors closed, his eyes lidded in an expression Zero could not read. Walking ahead of them, Yagari clutched Kivia to his chest, his face equally unreadable. Yagari made his way to a sofa near the back of the room, and knelt with his precious package. He laid Kivia softly on the cushions, her hair hanging in a sheet down the side of the couch to the floor. Still kneeling, Yagari adjusted the sheet around her, taking great care to cover her fully. Zero narrowed his eyes in puzzlement.

He had never seen Yagari show emotion or seem to care for anyone, let alone a vampire. Carried away in his thoughts, Zero barely heard it when the headmaster spoke to him. "how long have you been visiting Miss Karver in that room, Zero?"

Yanking his eyes away from Kivia, Zero glanced at the headmaster. An expression he had never witnessed before told him he should not be completely honest, and he shrugged.

"Have you drank her blood since the night of the dance?"

Zero's eyes shot up like a rocket, looking sternly into Cross' less than amused features, "No! I haven't done...that..." Zero stopped, watching as Yagari stood from his position, making his way towards the center on the room, never taking his eyes off of the headmaster.

Still watching Cross, Yagari reached into his jacket, producing a cigarette that he stuck cleanly between pursed lips. Reaching into yet another pocket, he produced a single match, which he struck on the sleeve of his jacket, and quickly used to light the cigarette in his mouth. He waved the match, putting it out as he pulled a quick drag and yanked the smoke from his mouth. Kaien Cross stood quiet and unmoving, his hands clasped behind his back as he waited for Yagari to complete his ritual.

Finally, the headmaster spoke to his old friend. "how long have you known she was a vampire?"

Yagari flashed a sly yet sad smile. "since she was born"

Choking back a sound of surprise, Zero blinked rapidly. That surely wasn't the answer he had been expecting.

"why didn't you tell me?! Toga, she could have been a danger to the students!"

With a click of impatience, Yagari shook his head, "Normally she is no danger to anyone, Kaien."

Throwing his arms up in what Zero could only guess was annoyance the headmaster shook his head. Mumbling under his breath, Cross turned away from the others, slowly making his way towards his desk. Flopping down in his chair, he folded his arms across the shining wood surface, and laid his head between them. Zero heard a sigh, and then the headmaster raised his head to look at the only other conscious occupants of the room.

Looking tired, he spoke in a soft voice. "How did you know, Toga?"

Releasing a sigh of his own, Yagari shook his head. Pulling the cigarette from between his lips, Zero noticed with a bit of concern that his former master was shaking. "She's my daughter..."

This time Zero was unable to stop himself from gasping.

Kaien Cross seemed not at all surprised, which Zero found even more puzzling. Watching his fellow vampire hunter, Kaien said nothing. After a moment of silence, Kivia grunted, stirring on the couch. It was then Kaien spoke up. "you have a daughter?"

Without a word, Yagari confirmed with a nod.

Watching Kivia, Cross slowly made his way over to her, pulling the shawl from around his shoulders. She whimpered, her eyes springing open as he approached her. Showing no signs of fear, Cross knelt beside her, dropping the shawl over her shoulders as she sat up. Sitting up, she folded her arms around herself, looking scared as she glanced around the room.

Zero felt a twinge of guilt and forced himself to look away. Everything bad hat had happened lately in her life had been his fault, and he was starting to hate himself.

"Yagari, does she know?"

Zeros former master shook his head, taking a long drag from his cigarette, "No. Shortly after she was born...she was put up for adoption, and went to an orphanage..."

Mumbling to himself, the headmaster grabbed Kivias shaking hands, hauling her to her feet. He turned towards Yagari, and neither spoke for a long while, finally, it was Zeros former master who spoke.

"When my fiance was bitten, we had no idea she was pregnant. When we finally found out, she was too far along. We considered what would happen, but we both decided we couldn't..."

He sighed, and for the first time in Zeros life of knowing this man, he thought he saw tears in his eyes. They were quickly pulled back, however, and the vampire hunter stumbled forward in his explanation. "She tried so hard to stay sane until the baby was born. She almost didn't make it. Finally, Kivia was born...and it was only three days later that she tried to attack Zero...and took my eye"

He brought his hand too his mouth, shaking as he pulled in a drag from his quickly raveling cigarette. Zero narrowed his eyes, puzzled at the events that had unfolded before him, thinking quickly, he shook his head. "How can that be? I was around her, and you, for months before she attacked."

Yagari shrugged, "she hid it well"

Zero shook his head, a hand coming up to run through his hair. Everything seemed so unbelievable, he was having trouble grasping at the edges of reality at that moment.

"It doesn't make sense!" He cried out, shaking his head. "How did I not know? How can i have seen her, been around her all this time...and I never knew?"

Yagari grinned, snatching the smoke from his mouth, "Shes only half vampire. She wasn't born human, so she cant descend to level E. She isn't a pure blood vampire, so she can easily hide, and go long periods of time without blood...normally."

"Normally?"

Yagari looked across the room to the headmaster, his eyes lidded and full of grief. Slowly, he nodded, and pulled in a wavering breath. "there are times when her hunger would be out of control. Times when she couldn't control herself..."

From across the room, Kivia let out a deep sigh, and Zero was jolted to life. He had forgotten that she was still in the room, and he suddenly felt his stomach turn in knots. After her whole life had been spent in an orphanage alone, how could she feel about finding out all of this information in one night. He turned slowly to look at her, and was shocked to find she showed no emotion on her face.

Kivia stared blankly at the floor, her eyes unblinking, not moving. Zero couldn't help but feel bad for her, she seemed shaken. while watching her, he was barely aware of anyone else, or any other presence in the room. It was unexpected, and gave him an unpleasant jolt when the headmaster spoke.

"Zero, You need to take her to her room. I need to speak to Yagari alone"

~0~0~0~

When the door slid closed, Cross collapsed back onto the sofa, his head in his hands. Yagari approached him slowly, watching his old friend. He opened his mouth, but he was not the first between them to speak.

"All these years, and you never told me"

Toga shook his head, "I tried not to think of it myself"

The headmaster drew in a deep breath, and a silence stretched between them. Each man watched the other, until the mutual question between them because too hard to ignore.

"So what are we going to do?" Yagari asked finally, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"That depends"

He cocked an eyebrow at his fellow hunter, and after a time, the headmaster stood, his expression saddened.

"A hybrid vampire can keep control of their appetite under normal circumstances, needing to feed very rarely, and showing no signs of blood lust. Under normal conditions she is absolutely no threat to anyone."

Yagari nodded, but stayed silent. He didn't want to say it any more than he wanted to hear it. Sensing the tension in the air, the headmaster stepped forward.

"Shes attacking humans. Meaning shes no longer safe."

Yagari nodded, turning away. First the first time in so many years, the headmaster saw his old friend fighting a barrage of emotions. His voice was soft and shook when he spoke.

"Her hunger is out of control...which means she's either dying-"

His voice cracked, and he shook his head. Approaching him, Kaien placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, speaking the words his friend could not.

"...or pregnant"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Again, so sorry for taking so long to update! I hope you all enjoy!**

He pushed her back, farther, driving her until she fell against the bed. Her knees struck the bed frame with a sickening clang as she tumbled backward, a fan of raven tendrils cascading over her bare shoulders. She let out a muffled whimper at the radiation of pain through her legs, falling onto the bed, but gave no protest.

She never did.

Night after night for many weeks she allowed him to claim her, her body, her mind, and her blood. Not once had she denied him. Not once had she made even the slightest noise against his advances. Lowering himself to her level, he forced himself inside her in one swift motion, and she gasped in the darkness. She tossed her head back, lost amongst a sea of midnight waves, surrounding her and lifting her. Even in pitch blackness, Zero could hear the roaring torrents of blood beneath her flesh.

He bent down to her, tracing the lines of veins with his tongue. At his touch, she arched against him, pushing toward him until she was enveloped in the heat of him. When he moved against her, it was rushed and feverish, and Kivia struggled to catch her breath. He was rough, forceful, and occasionally the morning after she would wake up sore. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him down to her and steadying herself all at once. Reaching up, he entangled one hand in her hair and pushed her head back, exposing her throbbing veins.

Kivia sucked in a deep breath in preparation for what she knew would happen. He lowered his lips to her throat, and seconds later she felt his razor sharp fangs pierce her. The feeling of him feeding would always remind her of that first night. The night of the dance when he had grabbed her outside in the hallway and claimed her there in front of everyone. She would always see the same, devilish glint in his hyacinth eyes. The same resonating feeling. That feeling of complete and utter abandon. He owned her, and she would never question him. It was not her place.

Soon thereafter she felt a pulsing in her lower body, and suddenly he was still. After a moment he pulled away from her, and she saw his face in the failing moonlight. His eyes, still glimmering their wicked shade of crimson, his mouth covered in a veil of her life essence. Slowly, he left her, and she suddenly felt cold and alone. With shaking limbs, she pushed herself up onto her elbows. She glanced over her shoulder, her eyes straining in the darkness.

He swayed on his feet, stumbling as he struggled to gain control of himself. She heard a rattle in his throat as he pulled in a shaking breath, and finally took a step towards her. A sliver of the full moons light fell across his face, and what she saw there instantly transported her mind back to that first night. The night of the dance. The lust in his eyes, the blood on his lips. Like a beautiful monster.

Just like her.

Kivia smiled, and Zero's face showed no emotion. Looking away, Kivia sighed. Since the night they had been caught, his disposition towards her had changed. The way he treated her, the way he handled her flesh. Something was different, but what exactly it was she couldn't be sure.

"Zero?"

Without a word, he turned away, bending down to scoop his jacket from its place on the floor, where it had been thrown in the heat of their passion. In the darkness, he dressed in complete silence, and Kivia watched his movements with confusion clouding her mind. Finally, after the silence had stretched on into an awkwardness that Kivia despised, he turned to face her once again.

They locked eyes for only a second, and Zero spun towards the door, reaching it in quick, long strides. Kivia gasped from her hurt. After everything that had happened, he was leaving without so much as a single word spoken to her. Jumping to her feet, Kivia yanked her skirt down, even though in the darkness no one would notice her wrinkled uniform. Subconsciously she felt exposed, open and vulnerable, and making herself presentable gave her a feeling of control that she couldn't explain.

"Zero?!"

He stopped, his hand on the door, but he didn't turn. She heard him sigh, and then he fell silent. Clearing her throat, she pushed herself to move forward.

"Are you leaving?"

She stopped. Something in the air felt different, heavy, and her instincts told her not to get too close. Something about his demeanor had changed drastically, though she couldn't pinpoint what it could be. When he answered, his voice was a low rumble that she had to strain to hear.

"I cant stay. You know that."

"I know...I just-"

He whipped his head around, looking over his shoulder at her. Not once did his hand stray from the doorknob.

"Then what?!"

"Zero...what's wrong?"

He snorted, shaking his head. Kivia felt a wave of pain wash over her. He seemed annoyed with her, and she felt small and in the way. Her entire life she had been made to feel this way, and she had never felt that way with Zero. Not, that was, until now. She felt wrong and dirty, and she suddenly hated herself. She heard the squeak of the doorknob turning, and she raised her head to look at him as a beam of light penetrated the darkness.

"Zero, I love you"

A sharp bang echoed throughout the room as the door slamming, and the light disappeared, plunging her into darkness once more. She heard Zero growl, sinister and mad, under his breath. A rhythm of heavy footsteps coming towards her. When her eyes adjusted to the sudden lack of light, she saw him before her, looming over her frame, the anger apparent on his face even in his mask of shadows.

"Why do you keep saying that?!"

His voice shook on every syllable. and Kivia had to swallow past the burning lump of tears in her throat.

"Saying...what?"

He reached out then, roughly wrapping his hands around her shoulders. He drove her back, pushing her as he spoke.

"I have never said it back, why do you keep saying that?!"

Kivia lowered her eyes, forcing herself to look away from the cold, unforgiving look in his eyes. She didn't understand his reaction, or his anger, but she pushed forward. She had always been one to believe that feelings should never be avoided or hidden. She would not lie for anyone. Not even the one she loved.

"I say it because I feel it. I say it so that you will know, and you will feel that you are loved. I don't say it so that I can hear it back, I say it because its true. Everyone needs to feel loved, Zero"

Again, a sinister growl deep in his throat, and he threw her backwards. She stumbled, and when her back struck the windowsill, she cried out in pain. She slid down to the floor, collapsing in a heap below the window. Shaking, she reached up to push the sheet of hair out of her face in enough time to see Zero turning away from her and making his way to the door.

His voice was low and barely audible, but when he spoke, she heard every word.

"I don't need your pity."

Quickly, the door was yanked open and then jerked closed behind him as he disappeared into the light beyond.

For a moment Kivia stayed where she had fallen, her mind a tangle of thoughts and emotions. She sighed, and after she stopped shaking, she pulled herself to her feet. Though her back throbbed and ached, she didn't hold it against him. Slowly, she made her way over to the bed and lowered herself to the mattress.

His outburst had been from his pain. A deep inner pain he never talked about.

Something had hurt him.

She knew this.

0~0~0~0

In the light, Zero leaned against the wall, studying the shaking of his hands. Why did she affect him this way? Why did her words hurt so bad? Balling his hands into quaking fists, he shook his head. He felt ashamed, sickened by his reaction, and his violent outburst. Regardless of what he felt, she hadn't deserved that, and deep down, Zero knew that.

He reached up, running a hand through his hair in an attempt to calm himself. Everything was out of control, how had it ever gotten this bad? After a moment, he pushed away from the wall and slowly made his way towards the staircase towards his room. Standing here alone would do nothing but make him feel worse. He needed to be alone so he could clear his head and his emotions. As he rounded the corner towards the staircase, a shadow in the corner caught his eye. He stopped, and before he could say even a word, a low, rumbling voice rang out in the hollow corridor.

"She will never be Yuuki, Zero...you know that."

Zero sighed. The words had finally been spoken. Everything he feared deep down inside had finally been brought to light, and it ignited a fire in him that caused searing agony and undeniable rage at the same time. He didn't want to hear that name. He didn't want to be reminded of his past and the one person who had caused a wound so deep inside of him that he feared he would never heal from it.

"I'm not stupid..." Zero growled, keeping his emotions in check, afraid of what would happen if the dam inside burst open, and a torrent of anger drowned them both.

The shadow stepped forward, into the light, a cloud of smoke swirling over his head like a brittle halo. Yagari pulled his nearly spent cigarette out of his mouth, his eyes watching the ground as he made his way forward. Zero noticed with confusion that his former master hadn't raised his eyes to look up, and inside the young vampire wondered if something was bothering him. Before Zero could say a word, Yagari spoke with a new tone that took Zero by surprise.

"You know, Zero...I don't really appreciate you using my daughter as your personal blood bank"

Zero felt the words as much as he heard them, like a stab to the heart and a jolt to his system. He shook his head hard, his brow furrowed in confusion. How could he have known?

"I didn't...I didn't do anything to-"

Yagari jerked towards him, pressing Zero against the wall with one quaking hand. His voice was like a wildcat's roar. "I can see the evidence allover your face, Zero!"

Taken aback, Zero swiped the back of his fist against his mouth, and when it came away, it was smeared with blood. He felt sick, a boulder sat in the pit of his stomach. This is what he had meant. All this time Yagari knew about Yuuki, and that he had fed from her numerous times. He also must have known that Zero had been feeding from Kivia on a semi-regular basis.

"Zero...regardless of what we have gone through, regardless of who you are, you have to remember. You are still a vampire...and I am still a hunter."

Zero narrowed his eyes, "and what does that mean, exactly?"

"if youre falling, and you start attacking humans...does that mean you're becoming a level E?"

Zero shook his head, pushing Yagari away from him in one swift motion. The words spoken had struck a chord within him that he had no patience for right now. Not only was he battling his own emotions, he was battling his morals and what he knew was wrong. He was fighting the war between his brain and his heart, and sadly he knew deep inside that he was losing.

As he turned to walk away, Zero heard Yagari call out to him. Reluctantly he stopped.

"So, Zero...If shes not your blood donor, what are you using her for? Is she your whore?"

Zero's hands balled themselves into shaking fists, and without a word he slowly shook his head. What was his master trying to accomplish by pushing him? What did he want this to turn into? Was he trying to push Zero to the limit and anger him as a form of revenge for touching his precious daughter?

"Then what is she to you, Zero? What does she mean to you?"

Zero hung his head, his anger suddenly flowing away from him as if a cork had been pulled out of a barrel. This very question was something he had asked himself on more than one occasion, and still he didn't know an answer. Even for himself. He visibly wilted and shook his head.

"I don't know..."

Without so much as another sound, Yagari had turned and was walking down the hallway towards Kivia's room, and Zero was left dazed and confused.

0~0~0~0

Toga Yagari stood outside a battered wooden door. One hand stuffed into his pocket, the other poised yet unmoving on the rickety door handle. Guilt gnawed at his brain like a rabid rat, and his eyes fell closed as he sucked in a deep breath.

He knew the headmaster was right. He knew he was the one best suited for this task. Kivia had attempted to attack Cross, and the former hunter being alone in a room with her would surely not end well. He himself had the necklace capable of subduing her if need be, yet something still nagged at him. Finally, he gathered his strength and tapped a knuckle lightly on the door, a warning that he would be entering.

He flipped the lock open and turned the door knob slowly, giving her a second to speak up. When she didn't, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Though it was dim inside of the room, the sunrise coming up over the trees outside of her uncovered window shed enough light on the shadows that he knew he could see well enough to complete his work safely.

Kivia sat on her bed, her legs crossed beneath her, her hair hanging in loose waves across both shoulders. Her lips turned up in a shy smile when he approached, and she was silent. Yagari saw with annoyance that blood was leaking slowly from two small puncture holes on the left side of her neck. Internally he cursed Zero for his incompetence.

"Are you okay, Kivia?"

She nodded, her smile widening. Yagari felt a stab of pain to his heart and sighed. No matter what Zero did to her, she seemed to be happy and content, never bothering to complain or show her sadness. Watching her, Yagari noticed the way the ever-growing sunlight sparkled in her slate eyes, and he was reminded at that moment of her mother.

The innocent smile, even at the worst of times. The way she sat quietly, never protesting. Suddenly he felt small and alone, and he had to push himself forward to break the spell.

"I need to uh...take some blood from you"

She cocked her head, her eyes furrowed in puzzlement, and Yagari felt a blow to the stomach that almost doubled him over and stole his breath. Her smile, her innocence...her quiet questioning. Though she surely didn't remember her, she could have been a carbon copy of her mother, and at that moment, Yagari felt his loneliness like an unmovable weight on his heart.

They had both been alone for so long. He himself had lost himself in his work, and Kivia had lived a strenuous and lonely life in an orphanage, constantly hiding who she was from everyone around her out of fear that she would be found out and...

He shook the thought from his head, pulling a syringe out of his pocket. He sat on the bed next to her, watching her as she sat without a word.

"The headmaster and I need to do a couple tests...and we-uh"

"Am I sick?"

Her voice startled him, and when he looked up, she leaned towards him, her hands clasped together in her lap. Her hair, the same deep black as his own, brushed against his hand and he pulled back as if burnt. Something seemed terrible and painful about his thoughts, and he forced himself to remember why he was there and what was expected of him.

"Maybe. We don't know. That's why we need to take blood."

She nodded, and reached up to pull her uniform jacket off without so much as another word. She was so agreeable. So forgiving and so...easily moved.

"Why do you let him do that to you?!"

His outburst rang out around the room, and Kivia jumped at his tone. He suddenly felt bad, but his anger had overflowed in a wave of protection that he hadn't been able to hold back.

"Do...what?" She asked, her voice small. She pulled her jacket down over her shoulders, laying it gently on the bed beside her. Unbuttoning the sleeves of her shirt, she began to roll up her sleeve. Yagari couldn't help but watch as every inch of her creamy, porcelain skin was revealed. Just above her elbow, a darkness spread beneath her skin. A bruise, black and purple and angry. Yagari narrowed his eyes and looked up at her.

"Why do you let him bite you, grab you...do whatever he wants with you? You have your own thoughts and feelings, and you can speak up, you know!"

She shrugged, extending her arm out towards him. Her forearm came to rest against his thigh, and he suddenly became very aware of the warmth of her through his pant leg.

"It makes him happy. I love him, so I like to make him happy. No one has ever wanted to be around me this much before..."

She stopped then, looking away, and her father suddenly sensed embarrassment in her voice.

He shook his head, reaching into another pocket of his jacket, he pulled out a length of rubber tubing. He had never done anything of this sort before, but he had seen his fiance do it numerous times. Her mother...

Without a word, he tied the tourniquet across her bicep, pulling it tight before securing it. He watched as thin blue lines appeared beneath her flesh, and a thought struck him.

"Does he ever give you blood?"

She shook her head, watching him as he drew a finger down her wrist, feeling for something he knew was there. He finally found what he thought was a sufficient vein, and he pulled the cap off the syringe. He placed the needle against her skin and slowly pressed forward until it entered the skin. She looked up at him as he pulled back on the plunger, drawing the crimson liquid from within her.

"Why are you worrying about me now?"

He shrugged as the syringes chamber filled, and finally he removed it from her vein. Reaching into another pocket, he pulled a small bandage from the confines of his coat and placed it over the tiny pinhole in her skin.

"I guess I feel guilty."

"Why?"

He glanced up at her as he untied the tourniquet from her arm and allowed it to drop down to the bedsheets beneath them.

"I feel guilty because instead of stepping up and taking care of you after your mom died...I got scared, and I let you go. She never would have wanted that."

He felt the warmth of her skin as she placed a hand over his, and she smiled warmly. She looked so much like her mother at that moment, it caused a dull ache in the pit of Yagari's turning stomach.

"Its okay...you're here now"

Thinking quickly, Yagari made up his mind before his rationality could step in and talk him out of it. He shrugged his jacket down over his shoulders, tossing it to the ground before Kivia could say another word. Quickly, his hands working in a blur, he watched her as he undid the top buttons of his shirt, pulling his collar down over his shoulder.

She looked confused, "what are you doing?"

"You may be...sick. You need blood."

"I'm okay..."

He shook his head, "No. Trust me. Zero keeps taking from you without giving any in return. You need blood"

Reaching up, he turned his head to one side, pressing his thumb nail into the flesh of his neck until he felt a line of blood run down to his collar bone. Kivia watched him intently, her eyes suddenly changing from sweet and shy, to sinister and predatory. He watched her as she pulled her legs beneath her, raising herself up onto her knees, slowly coming towards him.

Without a word, she threw one leg over him, straddling him, she never took her eyes off of the steady stream of blood from his neck. Straddling his outstretched legs, she lowered her head towards him, one hand coming up to place against his bare chest, steadying herself.

He felt it when her lips met his skin, and shortly after he felt it when her fangs pierced his flesh. He jumped slightly, but never moved to stop her. He allowed her to take from him. Memories flashed behind his vision, and after a moment, he sighed.

When they learned of her pregnancy and her condition, he had done this multiple times for his fiance...and for Kivia. To keep her alive and keep her mother sane. He had hoped, all those times, that somehow he would delay the inevitable, but in the end she had turned into a demon that he had been forced to put down. The thought struck him like a knife, and he pulled in a deep breath. Kivia's hair resting across his face.

That scent.

She even smelled like her mother.

He shivered at the feeling of her flesh pressed against his, and he suddenly felt like a villain.

This was becoming too much to handle. He was starting to feel a pain he hadn't felt in a long time. Reaching up, he ran a hand through her midnight hair, and as if sensing his apprehension, she pulled away. Her lips shone with a sheen on crimson blood and her saliva. As he watched, her tongue lashed across her lips, tasting his essence upon her. He brought a hand up to hold against his bleeding neck, and she pulled away from him, sitting on her knees beside him. Again, he ran a hand through her long, silky tendrils, somehow surprised that her hair was so much like his own. Leaning up, he placed a quick peck on her forehead, a gesture he hoped would somehow show her how he felt. Without a word, he stood from the bed, though unsteady on his feet.

He collected his jacket from the floor, and threw it over his shoulder, still watching her. She finally glanced up at him, her lips pulling up in a grin that seemed satisfied and happy. The thought of finally being able to be the source of her happiness made his heart jump in a way that he hadnt felt since first laying eyes on her again for the first time in 17 years.


	7. Chapter 7

"Headmaster?"

Zero pushed the door open carefully, only to find, much to his dismay, the headmasters office empty and quiet.

"Damn..."

He sighed deeply, his eyes studying the headmasters chair, as if wishing him there would somehow make it so. Mumbling to himself he turned back to the door, making a move to leave. A Manila envelope, standing out against the deep cherry wood of the desk suddenly caught his attention, and he stopped. Though what about him jumped out at him he hadn't the slightest idea. A persistent nagging tugged at the back of his brain. Peeking out into the darkened hallway outside, Zero scanned the darkness.

No one was around to catch him, and no one had seen him enter.

As quietly as he could possibly manage, he slid the door closed and turned back towards the room. The silence was deafening. Almost as if beckoning him forward.

In a few quick strides he made it to the desk, his ears tuned towards the door, perked for the slightest sound.  
There was none.

His skeletal fingers reached out, and he slid the envelope towards himself. He plucked it from the polished wood and turned it over in his hands.

He was only slightly shocked to see her name scrawled in red ink below the opening. Something inside of him had known all along that it would be about her.

He flipped the flap up and looked inside. Several sheets of crisp, white paper with lines of typed black text.

A final glance over his shoulder towards the door, and Zero hesitated no longer.

He yanked the paper from its envelope and scanned the pages. A few words seemed to leap off the page and slam into his brain with the force of a Mac truck.

Kivia Karver  
Test performed by Vampire Association.  
Pregnancy screen: Positive.

It was as if a jolt of lightning had pulsed through his veins. His heart skipped and drove full force into his trachea. Bile rose in his throat, and at the same time he felt as if his stomach had thrown itself to the ground beneath his shaking legs.

The words on the page turned into a swimming, swirling mess until it all looked like another language to him. He dropped the envelope and its contents onto the desk in front of him.

Positive.

Whenever he closed his eyes he saw that word, emblazoned in red behind his disbelieving eyes. Trying in vein to calm his aching gullet, Zero stumbled towards the back of the desk.

Positive.

No longer caring about being caught, he slumped into the headmasters chair behind the desk, his head throbbing painfully. He cursed himself. How could he have been so stupid? Surely he was old enough to know that these things could happen. Now that it was done and it had happened, what did that mean for him? What did that mean for her?

What was going to happen now?

He tossed the papers down onto the desk before him, his heart thumping excitedly in his chest. Everything was a jumbled mess in the back of his brain. He slumped forward, his head smacking against the polished wood of the headmasters desk. His eyes screwed tightly shut, he fought as hard as he could to just keep his emotions inside. This could not be happening.

When his eyes popped open, they were bloodshot and glazed. His gaze fell upon the drawer of the desk, just slightly cracked open, as if carelessly pushed closed without a second thought. A glimmering sliver of metal shone within its confines.  
A shivering hand came up to yank the drawer open and reveal its content.

The rose. The bloody rose.

With shaking fingers he reached inside, plucking his weapons from the depths.

An answer to every problem.


	8. Chapter 8

"D-dad?" Her voice broke, shattered like crystal on the floor.

"Yes?"

She sighed, almost as if ashamed of what she had to say. Finally, when she spoke, her voice was hushed and quiet, afraid of who might hear her.

"Why doesn't Zero..." Her voice broke again, and her small frame shook with concealed sobs.

A symphony of what she tried to hide. She didn't want to feel like this, and Yagari knew it. He could practically feel her pain, and for that...he hated Zero. He hated what Zero was doing to her. Though he hadnt been around her entire life, in the past few weeks Yagari had spent countless hours talking to her, keeping her company, and telling her stories of her mother.

"Why doesn't Zero...what?" He prodded.

With another deep sigh, she forced herself to continue, "Why doesn't Zero...care about me?"

Now was Yagari's turn to sigh. He moved closer to Kivia on the bed, throwing an arm around her shoulder and pulling her close, trying to save her from her tears.

"He does..."

"No, he doesn't. Its been a week. He hasn't come to see me..."

In the darkness, Yagari turned to look at her, and though he could see nothing but her silhouette, he knew that she saw him watching her.

"Well, Kivia...you know the headmaster gave you the key to this room. He said you can come and go as you please..."

She shook her head, shrugged, "I don't wanna go out there..."

"Why?"

Again, a shrug, "Everyone saw what happened at the dance. What Zero did. I just...don't want to face anyone..."

Yagari stayed silent, unsure of what to say. Though he didn't understand her pain, he understood how she must feel.

Shame?

Just when he opened his mouth to comfort her, she spoke, "I'd rather just stay in here until everyone goes home for the summer."

He nodded, "that's only about 2 weeks away..."

She nodded. She understood, but she was still unhappy. He could taste it in the air like cheap perfume. And he hated it.

"Listen, Zero has been through a lot...He doesn't mean to be distant, but he doesn't know anything else. His parents and brother are dead. The only girl who was ever a friend...or anything else...to him" he sighed, it almost hurt too bad to even mention, "She left...and she hurt him, really bad. She broke his heart...and its going to take him a little while to heal from that"

With a sniffle, Kivia looked over at him, "Who?"

"her name was Yuuki"

Kivia was silent, and in the darkness Yagari failed to see the sick look of determination on her face

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The weight of the gun was heavy in his hands.

Zero laid splayed on his hard, unforgiving bedroom floor, the Bloody Rose clutched in his hand. It had been almost a week since he had seen Kivia, and almost 24 hours since he had found out about her pregnancy.

His mind was spinning. Realing. What could he do? What should he do? In the aftermath of Yuukis departure, his mind had been flipped, turned upside down. Everything was wrong now. He felt a kind of animalistic attachment to Kivia. A need for her. Lust? or love?

He didn't know.

He sighed, and dropped the gun to the floor beside him.

Kivia was carrying a baby. A child inside of her. His mind a movie reel of thoughts, Zero couldn't help but land back on one mark in the past.

Their encounter outside the dance. That first night. Fleeting. Rushed and reckless.

Stupid.

What he couldn't forget was that scent. The smell of blood in the air. The innocence he had stolen from her. His proof that there was no other way. No other explanation.

That baby. The life she carried inside of her. It was his.

Just that simple pattern of thoughts made him happy. A smile threaten to tug his lips into a grin, but he fought it. His pain fought it. His nervousness...paranoia...

Did he love her?

With a heavy sigh, he scooped the Bloody Rose from its place upon the floor and returned it inside of his jacket.

That question could only be answered by confrontation. He needed to talk to her

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Yagari placed a hand on her thigh, looking through the darkness, studying her shadowed features. Everything that had happened...her mother...Zero's stupidity the night of the dance...he felt an immense amount of guilt. Everything would be different now...and then...if he had just acted differently. If he could have done something -anything- right.

"Kivia?"

"Yea?"

"I just want you to know," He cleared his throat "I will do anything for you. I messed up. I can admit that. I never should have given you up. I should have kept you. Helped you. Loved you like you deserved. I'm sorry I didn't do that...but I want you to know that I am here now. "

He hadn't even heard the door open, but he heard the words echo in the room "What does that mean?".

The door pushed open now with a creak, and an arch of light fell into the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rage.

Pure anger and hatred.

Everything was suddenly a blur.

The scene laid out before him sent Zero into a spiral of malice that enveloped his heart and turned his blood to fire.

"What...are you doing?" Zero could hear his own voice shaking, quivering with his wrath.

On the bed, the bed he had shared countless nights with Kivia, she sat, her legs tucked beneath her. Her hair tousled, hanging in her shocked face. Her expression looked oddly like someone who had just been caught doing something she shouldn't.

Zero's pale eyes fell from her face, to (maybe he was imagining things?) the slight curve of her stomach beneath her uniform.

His.

His baby.

His eyes traveled further...down...

Yagari's hand...

"Why are you touching her?!"

Suddenly he was screaming. His rage forced up and out of his throat like a dragon from the depths of hell. Kivia jumped, startled.

Yagari was still, unmoving "Zero, listen..." His voice was strong.

"NO! You're trying to take her away from me!"

Now Yagari looked confused, "Zero, she's my daughter. I was just-"

"You're disgusting! Don't touch her!" Though he was trying, he couldn't control his rage now. It was twisting, pulling at his insides and whipping him into a rabid frenzy that he never knew he could muster. It engulfed him. Controlled him completely. Reaching into his jacket, his hand clutched the cold silver of the Bloody Rose.

His brain was a fog of anger and a new, deeper need.

He could smell the overwhelming scent of fresh blood.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"ZERO!" Yagari was screaming now.

A sudden realization overcame him. It clicked in his head like a puzzle piece falling into place. It was over. Zero had snapped.

Finally, he was broken.

He had become a level E.

"Kivia! Go! Run!" He reached to the bed, fumbling, looking for his gun. He cursed himself at that moment. He had let his guard down and was paying the price for it. In his desperation he turned, looking for Kivia, his gun...  
Something hard and cold struck him on the back of the head and he fell forward. Blackness swirled on the edges of his vision but he forced them away. He could not fail. Not now. Not like this.

"Zero stop!"

Kivia pushed forward, launching off the bed and towards Zero. Zero sidestepped her easily and rounded on Yagari once more. Snatching his gun up from the floor near the bed, Yagari flipped onto his back and took aim.

Before his finger could even brush the trigger, the gun was knocked out of his hands and across the room.

"Zero!" Kivia was hysterical now. Screaming. Her voice panicked and crackling  
A rhythm of footsteps rang out in the hallway, but before Yagari could call out a word of warning, Zero was on him. The vampire cocked his fist and struck hard, and Yagari's mouth exploded with a wave of blood.

"You're not taking her away from me!" Zero screamed, and struck again. This time his knuckles connected with his old masters nose, and a sickening crunch of bone and cartilage rang throughout the room.

"Zero! What are you doing!?" A new voice rang out now, and through a haze of blood Yagari saw Zero fall away.

Kaien Cross appeared in Yagari's line of vision, his arms wrapped tightly around Zero's heaving shoulders. With a single, swift movement, he pushed and Zero fell to the ground, his arms pinned behind his back.

Yagari coughed, wretched, a flood of blood running down the back of his throat now. After a moment the haze lifted, his world stopped spinning, and he managed to push himself up. Sitting.

Zero lay in the middle of the floor, still. His arms bound behind his back with thick metal shackles. Kivia sat by his side, one hand laid across his shoulder. She was watching silently as the headmaster stepped forward.

"I wont kill him, Toga..." 


	9. Chapter 9

"Are you okay, Toga?"

The former hunter gave a nod. Yagari laid across a seat in Cross' office, an ice pack resting gingerly across the bridge of his shattered nose.

"That boy really clocked me good..."

Kaien Cross looked concerned. He continued his work, shuffling papers and stacking them in neat and orderly piles at different places on his desk. He sighed, and gently placed the stack of papers he was holding into a file folder and flipped it closed.

"Is it broken?"

Yagari nodded, "oh yes...Definitely."

There was a long pause. The headmaster sighed again, leaning back in his chair. "I think it goes without saying that Zero is slipping..."

"He is not a level E"  
Cross looked up quickly, his eyes shining with a light of confusion. He tented his fingers, resting his elbows on his desk.  
"Of course he isnt...Level E vampires generally do not 'calm down' once they have descended completely. The fact that Zero was able to get control of himself after his outburst shows me that he still has enough control of his mind to know what he was doing was wrong."

Yagari shook his head, "He wasn't wrong"

The headmasters brows furrowed, "he wasn't?"

Sitting forward, Yagari pulled the ice pack from his nose and dropped it in his lap.

"No, he wasn't. He was protecting someone he loved from what he thought was a threat. It actually makes me happy to see that he cares that deeply for Kivia"

"A threat?"

Without another word to the head master, Yagari was on his feet, and had disappeared through the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The aging hunter came to a heavy wooden door, resting his hand against the cool, chiseled oak, he listened carefully before pushing it open.

The scene that unfolded before him was nothing new, and not at all surprising, but he pulled in a shaking breath as it unfolded before him.

A figure sat slumped in a corner across the room, his silvery hair falling in his face, hiding his eyes in a veil of shadow. His arms clasped behind his back, hidden from view.

Yagari sighed. Zero was still cuffed.

"Zero..."

"Don't fuckin' come near me"

Taken aback, Yagari blinked and faltered. After a second, his surprise turned to annoyance, and she stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him with a snap.

"Listen Zero-"

"No! " The young vampire raised his head now, his eyes sparkling in the dull light. The cold sneer plastered across his features portrayed a single, burning emotion.

Hatred.

"Zero...I'm going to uncuff you"

"If you come near me...I will kill you"

Yagari stood unmoving for a moment, his mind excruciatingly blank. His eye flitted from one end of the room to the other, wracking his brain for something, anything he could say.

"I'm not stupid, _**master**_"

Yagari returned his gaze to his student as he continued to speak.

"You're sick. She can't see it...but I can. You're trying to take her away from me...aren't you?"

Yagari's brow furrowed in confusion, and he shook his head, "Zero...what are you-"

"Don't act stupid. I saw how you were touching her. Allover her. The way you looked at her...Disgusting"

"That isn't...true..."

"Isn't it?"

Zero was up now, on his knee's and pushing to his feet, his eyes never leaving his old teachers face. His face was a mask of anger and knowing. Stumbling, he finally made it to his feet.

"Zero...she's my daughter. I think you're a little confused. Are you turning-"

With a growl, Zero pushed closer to him, his eyes crazy with malice, "AM I? Tell me I'm wrong, old man. Tell me that you don't think about fucking your daughter! Come on, lie to me!"

Averting his gaze, Yagari slipped a hand into one of his pockets. his finger fell across a heavy metal object in his pocket. Snatching it from his confines, he held it up in the candle light illuminating the room.

Without another word he placed it on the desk to his right, his eyes on the ground as he did so. Turning on his heel, he uttered a single, shaking sigh as he exited the room.

He yanked the door closed behind him, collapsing against it, his back pressing against the hard wood. His head hung low, his breathing came in ragged gasps, burning his throat.

Zero's feverish words rung like church bells in his skull, echoing in his brain like torturous screams.

Zero was wrong...wasn't he?

Was he?

Gulping thickly, Yagari rushed away, hurrying down the hallway as he heard the dull scrapping of Zero snatching the key from its wooden pedestal.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cross jumped, startled as his office door swung open. Toga pushed forward, coming quickly towards him, looking shaken.

"Toga?"

Yagari shook his head, snatching his long, tattered jacket from a chair near his old friend's desk.

"I have to go. Something has-"

"Tonight? "

"Yes...I'm sorry, it's rather urgent"

Cross frowned, a lithe hand coming up to gently tug his glasses from his tired eyes, "Is there absolutely no way it can wait? I was hoping to have you here tomorrow"

Shaking his head, Yagari moved towards the door, stopping when Cross' words reached his troubled mind, "What's happening tomorrow?"

Cross smiled curtly, holding his hands on his desk before him. "The Kuran family is coming for a visit. Kaname has become, in his absence...a sort of replacement for the head of the Council"

"Kaname is coming...here? now?"

Cross sighed, his face morphing into a sad smile, "Unfortunately...yes. He learned of Kivia and her...condition...and as the new head of the Council, is it his duty to meet with her. Such a circumstance is new to both vampire's and hunters alike. He is coming to assess the situation...and we will go from there."

"And...Yuuki?"

"Of course she will be accompanying him as well"

A heated sigh crossed his lips, and Yagari's very soul shuddered within his being.

"I'll stay...now if you'll please excuse me"

Before another word could be uttered between them, he scurried from the room, his mind a tangled web of thoughts.


End file.
